Rose Red
by RainbowWolf1313
Summary: Rose Evans never expected to live through the war, much less raise her nephew after her twin's death. Now after a ten year absence from the wizarding world she's back and loving it. Too bad nothing stays peaceful for long. Remus/OFC
1. Welcome to Diagon Alley

The night was calm, too calm for the taste of the woman watching it. Something about the stillness unnerved her as she stared out the window of her tiny cottage. To anyone who passed by it was a humble little house to a woman who kept to herself and was rarely seen outside the walls of her home, those who entered the house found a whole different world. Once inside the door one would think they had been magically transported to a majestic manor rather than a shabby little cottage, for in a way, they had. It was the beauty of magic, the outside of the house charmed to appear simple and nondescript while the inside could house dozens of people at any given moment. She was the only person who never left, for it was her job to protect it and its occupants.

When someone was forced to run from the dangers chasing them, they would come here until arrangements were made to move them somewhere beyond the edges of the darkness. It was a safe house, the only of it's kind, and the woman who ran it took her job very seriously for she knew too many who had passed through these walls and knew there were more to come. Until just over a year prior to this night she had held a real job as an Unspeakable at the Ministry of Magic which meant she was very good at keeping secrets which was necessary now that she was the keeper of this little safe house.

She continued to stare out the window until a knock sounded on the front door. Rising quickly she rushed over and tapped the door with her wand to activate the charm that allowed her to see who was waiting on the other side. Only one person was waiting there and the woman sighed before tapping the door a second time to activate yet another security charm.

"State your name and business."

"I am Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore and I have come to speak with Rose Lily Evans concerning the Potters and Lord Voldemort."

Rose cursed under her breath and tapped the door a third and final time deactivating the first two charms and releasing the locks. She opened the door and motioned the man inside; scanning the landscape to make sure that no one else was lying in wait. Closing the door automatically reset the locks and allowed Rose to turn her attention to her visitor.

"What's happened?"

"Lily and James are dead at Lord Voldemort's hand. It appears Sirius was working for him all along."

Rose's eyes drifted shut and she swallowed against the tears that threatened. "Harry?"

Albus Dumbledore turned to face her, revealing the boy he held. "Lives."

Rose nearly sobbed in relief as she took the boy and cuddled him close. "Voldemort?"

"Is gone, destroyed in his attempt to kill young Harry."

Rose nodded and sighed heavily. "So what now?"

"Are you willing to take Harry? If not I will need to take him to your sister as she is his only other family."

"My ass! Petunia is not going to lay a finger on him. Even if it weren't for the fact that she's a bitter brat, I wouldn't let Harry within ten kilometers of that walrus she married. No, I'll take him."

"Excellent. I'm sorry for your loss Rose."

"So am I Albus, so am I. Does this mean I'm not needed here anymore?"

"I doubt the safe house will be needed again."

Rose nodded and looked down at the sleeping boy in her arms. She kissed him on the forehead and smiled as he stirred slightly but didn't wake. "Then I'm taking him away. The Death Eaters will be after us once they know he's still alive and I'm not taking any chances. I'll send word when I can and please tell Remus I'm sorry."

"Where will you go?"

"That I can't say. No one can know Albus, not even you. I don't even plan on telling Harry about our world until his Hogwarts letter arrives. We're going to be ordinary muggles now, it's the only way."

Albus regarded the woman before him and nodded. He could remember her as a girl, excited to learn magic and inseparable from her twin. Now the two were forced apart in the worst way and he knew that she was doing not only what was best for her nephew but best for herself as well.

"You'll keep in touch?"

"Yes. I'll send you an owl at least a couple times a year but you've got to promise not to try and find us. The less Harry knows about our world the better, at least until it's time for him to join it."

"As you wish my dear. You're his guardian now which means it is up to you to decide what's best for him."

Rose smiled at the man and inclined her head. "Thank you. Well, I think this is goodbye Albus, at least for now."

"Goodbye Rose, take care and stay safe and I shall see you and Harry soon enough."

And with that the man was gone, leaving Rose Evans and Harry Potter to begin their new lives, somewhere far away from their past, where their futures could begin.

~RR~

"Aunt Rose, where are my trainers?"

"In the kitchen where you left them now get your butt down here, breakfast is ready."

Rose laughed as she heard her beloved nephew run down the stairs in his haste to reach the food. Rose was never surprised by how much the boy could eat or how often he wanted to she had known his father after all. James could pack away food like no one she knew, well, except maybe Sirius but she didn't like to think of him.

"Aunt Rose, is there any more bacon?"

Rose laughed and turned to the table, setting another plate of bacon on it. "It appears there is."

"Cool. Are you gonna have any?"

Rose sat down and began to fill her plate with eggs, sausage, bacon and toast. "Yeah, I am."

They began to eat in silence and Rose had to bite her lip several times to keep from laughing at Harry as he practically inhaled the food.

"Slow down before you choke yourself."

"Owl."

Rose frowned, taken aback by the word. "What?"

"There's an owl at the window and it's staring at you."

Rose turned and looked at the bird, wondering how it had found them. Ten years had gone by and the only time she'd even seen the birds was twice a year in Diagon Alley when she sent Albus an update. She always made the trip while Harry was either at a friend's or at school so that he never knew what was going on outside their little home. Worried about their safety she walked over and opened the window. The bird quietly dropped en envelope into her hand and took off, leaving her to stare after it in shock. She glanced down at the envelope and smiled, it was time.

Turning she tossed the letter to Harry and poured herself a cup of tea while she waited for his reaction.

"Is this some kind of joke?"

"Nope. You're a wizard, I'm a witch and you're finally headed for Hogwarts."

"I don't believe you."

Rose sighed and pulled out her wand, flicking it to send their finished breakfast plates into the sink where they began washing themselves. "Merlin but I've missed that. I am so tired of cleaning the Muggle way."

"Muggle?"

"Non-magical people, like your Aunt Petunia."

"Aunt Petunia?"

"Oh snap, that's right, I never told you did I? Well, it's pretty basic, you mum and I were twins but we had an older sister named Petunia. Our parents were Muggles like Petunia and she thought that Lily and I were freaks for what we could do while our parents thought it was amazing. It created a major rift between the three of us, a rift that never healed. When your parents died you were brought to me first though you would have been sent to live with Petunia if I couldn't take you. Obviously that didn't happen."

"So I have more family?"

"No one you want to know. Petunia and her husband proclaimed your mother and I freaks, filth, and told us never to contact them again. There was no way I was letting Petunia take you Lily wouldn't have wanted it that way."

"So Hogwarts is some kind of magic school?"

"Yep. Your mum and I went there, your dad went there and now you get to go, that is, if you want to."

"Yeah I want to go! But why didn't you tell me about all this before?"

Sighing heavily, Rose took her seat at the table and told Harry everything. She started with Voldemort and worked her way forward. It took time, telling the whole story, answering his questions along the way. Finally she arrived at the fateful night that had changed both their lives. Taking a deep breath she told him about Albus Dumbledore and how he had brought Harry to her. She told him about the house where she'd lived and why she had been there. Finally she told him about her final requests before taking Harry and leaving.

"I made him promise not to contact us, or come looking for us. Twice a year for the past ten years I've gone to a place called Diagon Alley and sent him a letter, telling him how we were. I always made sure to go while you were at school or over at a friend's that way I wouldn't have to explain where I was going. When I left I told Albus that I would keep this from you until you got your Hogwarts letter and I have. I know you probably think it was awful of me to do that but I had a hard decision to make and I hope you understand."

Harry thought about this for a minute, deciding how he felt about the secrets his aunt had been keeping from him. After thinking it all over he just nodded and gave her a reassuring smile.

"I understand. You did what you had to do to keep me safe so I guess it's okay. But we get to go back now right?"

Rose smiled and reached over to ruffle her nephew's hair. "Yes and no. We're not leaving our home but we are going to become a part of the wizard world again, which means you'll only have to wash the dishes when you're in trouble."

"Cool!"

Rose laughed and swatted at the boy which resulted in him falling out of his chair as he ducked and the pair dissolved into giggles. Laughing this way wasn't a rarity in their home and it was part of what made their lives so great. Their house was plastered with pictures of the two of them smiling and having the time of their lives. The only place in the house that didn't hold pictures of just them was the mantle over the fireplace, which held picture of Harry, his parents, Rose and others. She had long ago frozen them but now they could finally move free again.

"Come here babe, I'll show you one of the many wonders of the wizard world."

She took him into the living room and waved her wand at the mantle, setting everyone into motion once more.

"Wicked!"

"Yep. Now these are the only photos we have that'll move, the rest are muggle photos, but we'll take more like these from now on."

"Cool, what else? I mean, there's got to be more to this right?"

Rose laughed and ruffled the boy's hair. His eyes were sparkling just like Lily's had when she and Rose had gotten their letters. It was true that it had taken a visit from Dumbledore before they really believed it but once they were sure, the two had been on a perpetual, no sugar added, sugar high.

"Yes there is. Go get your shoes on, we need to go to the bank and the post office and we can get your school supplies while we're out since we'll be right there."

"Ok!"

Rose laughed even harder as Harry sprinted back into the kitchen to find his shoes. She shook her head and walked over to the hall closet to get her purse, waiting by the door for Harry to show up.

"Let's go, let's go, let's go."

"Okay, okay, okay."

Rose locked the house and warded it, grateful that she didn't have to waste energy on wandless magic now that Harry knew. She took him around to the side of the house and smiled at his confused expression.

"Grab my arm and hold on tight, we're going to do what's called Apparation. I need you to not think about anything so that I can get us there easier and whatever you do, don't let go."

"Is it going to hurt?"

"No but it's definitely going to feel weird."

"'Kay."

Rose smiled as his grip tightened slightly and she concentrated on the alley behind the Leaky Cauldron. With a deep breath she turned on the spot and braced herself against the sensation of Apparation. She smiled broadly as they arrived and looked down to see how Harry had come though the ordeal. She checked him over for splinching and once she determined that he was fine, she winked at him.

"Feeling ok?"

"Yeah but boy was that weird."

"I know, my first time was pretty disconcerting too. Come on, time to shop."

Rose led him through the Leaky Cauldron and out to the back where she quickly tapped the bricks with her wand and watched Harry's eyes widen as the archway appeared.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley."


	2. Neither Can I

Harry couldn't hold back his awe as they walked through the crowd in Diagon Alley. The place was amazing, packed with people and shops he never could have imagined. Rose had told him that there first stop was the bank and that he needed to behave while they were there. He wasn't really sure why she'd felt the need to remind him of this, he always behaved when they went to the bank. Of course, his confusion ended as soon as they entered Gringotts and he saw the strange creatures working there.

"Aunt Rose, what are they?"

"Goblins. They're the best bankers in the world but they've got serious Napoleon complexes which is why I told you to behave."

"I'll keep quiet, I promise."

Rose winked at him and went through the motions of retrieving their funds. Once they were done with the crazy roller coaster ride to and from their vault the pair hurried out of the bank and nearly fell down the steps laughing.

"Sweet Merlin they are so uptight."

Harry laughed even harder and clutched his aunt's arm for support. He had never imagined anything like this and it was all so amazing that something as out of place as the goblins just about killed him. Still laughing the pair made their way to Ollivander's to get Harry's wand. Half an hour later they left with an 11 inch, Holly and Phoenix Feather wand and a very cryptic message from Mr. Ollivander. Rose then dropped Harry off at Madam Malkin's to get fitted for robes while she went to the post office. Once inside she went to the writing station and dashed out her letters, the first to Dumbledore.

_Albus,_

_Please let Minerva know that Harry will be attending Hogwarts in the coming term. I've taken him to Diagon Alley to get his things and he's completely fascinated with our world. He took the news amazingly well and is excited to start school and I must admit, his enthusiasm is infectious. It's like learning about magic all over again and I only wish Lily and James were here to see it. Of course, if they were he would have grown up with magic but that's another story all together. I'm activating the floo at our house and would love to have you come for tea on July 31__st__, Harry's birthday. If you can convince him, bring Remus with you and Minerva as well if she'd like. Send me an owl and let me know if you'll be coming. _

_Sincerely yours,  
Rose Evans_

Satisfied with the note she sealed and addressed it before starting another.

_To Whom It May Concern:_

_I am writing to have the floo at 1742 Ridgewood Drive, Bristol, activated. The residence also needs to be added to the list of active magical residences. Please list it under the name Rose Evans and note the presence of one under-age wizard, Harry Potter. I would also like to request that it be listed as private so that the general public cannot access the information. If there is anything else needed please send a note to the aforementioned address. Thank you and have a lovely day._

_Sincerely,  
Rose Evans_

Again satisfied with her letter she sealed and addressed it before joining the line of wizards waiting to send off their packages and letters. It took only a few minutes before her letters were on their way and Rose was headed back to Madam Malkin's. On the way she ducked into the office of the Daily Prophet and subscribed to the paper, glad that she would now get the news on a regular basis rather than only twice a year. The boring errands complete she returned to the robe shop just in time to pay for Harry's robes and move on. Next came Flourish and Blotts and the Apothecary to finish up with Harry's school supplies. Everything purchased Rose steered Harry toward the Magical Menagerie so that she could purchase an owl, thus removing the need for the post office.

"Well, your birthday's less than a week off so what would you like?"

"Can I have a broom?"

"Ha, no. You'd have to leave it home until next year anyway so maybe we'll get one for you then, maybe."

"An owl?"

"Are you going to be responsible about it?"

"Yes!"

"Then yes, you can have an owl for your birthday."

"Cool."

Laughing at him they went in and began browsing for owls. In the end Harry chose a snowy owl that he named Hedwig and Rose bought an eagle owl that she named Horatio. The purchase of the owls ended their shopping trip and soon the pair was home again. Hedwig and Horatio were not particularly fond of Apparating and their owners spent a good ten minutes apologizing to the birds. Harry let the animals out to explore their surroundings while Rose set up their perches in one corner of the kitchen. Together they put Harry's things away in his room and returned to the kitchen for lunch.

Harry interrogated Rose over chicken sandwiches, asking her every little thing he could think of. Every so often, just to get a rise out of him, she would remind him that she'd bought him the extra books for a reason. He'd only needed school materials yet they'd purchased another half dozen on top of that, only one of which was on Quidditch, a subject that fascinated Harry beyond words. Rose was constantly having to remind Harry to eat his lunch, something she hadn't had to do in years.

"Owl!"

Rose laughed at Harry's excited observation and watched as he ran over to the window to fetch whatever it was that had been brought to them. He handed the letter to Rose and sat down expectantly, hoping she would share whatever was in the note.

_Rose,_

_I am glad to hear that Harry will be joining us for the new school year and that he took the news so well. I would indeed love to come for tea on the 31__st__ and will be there at one o'clock, if that is alright. Minerva has already agreed to accompany me however, I am still waiting to hear from Remus though I am sure he will be anxious to see the two of you. No need to write back, unless of course one o'clock is not a good time._

_Until then,  
Albus Dumbledore_

"What is it?"

"A letter from a friend. I've invited him and a couple others to tea on your birthday, I thought you might like to meet some other wizards."

"Are any of them my age?"

"No but I'm sure they can point us in the direction of someone who is."

Harry grinned broadly, bouncing slightly in his seat. "Cool! I can't wait for my birthday."

Smiling back, Rose reached over and squeezed his hand. "Neither can I kiddo, neither can I."

~RR~

July 31st dawned bright, clear and hot. Even though she knew that they were having visitors, Rose dressed in shorts and a tank top, her only defense against the heat. Thanks to ten years of disuse her cooling charms were not what they once were. The heat, however, did not deter Rose from cooking Harry's favorite breakfast as she did every year. Because she felt it was a special day she made the pancakes the muggle way, instead of using magic as she'd begun doing in the past few days. She smiled as she heard Harry moving around upstairs, finally awake, probably thanks to the smell of pancakes. She heard him come down and sit at the table.

"Happy birthday sweetheart."

"Thanks Aunt Rose, is breakfast almost ready?"

Rose laughed, once again impressed by his timing, she had just slid the last pancake off the pan and onto the stack. Turning, she set the plate of hot pancakes and a plate of bacon on the table before taking her seat. She watched as Harry piled food on his plate and tucked in, making her sigh at the fact that ten years had flown by already. It seemed impossible, it felt like he should still be a baby, still be giggling while James made stupid faces at him.

When they finished eating Harry ran back up the stairs, anxious to continue reading his book about Quidditch. Between his fascination with it and Rose telling him that his father was a chaser, well, Harry had become slightly obsessed with the sport. Rose just shook her head and began preparing for company. She cleaned up the living room, rolling her eyes at the various things she found lying around the room. Chess pieces under the couch and a missing chess board, magazines spread across the table and floor and football cleats in front of the fireplace. The idea of Minerva stepping on those made Rose laugh out loud and snatch the shoes up.

Before she knew it the clock ready ten till one and everything in it's place or at least close to. She put the kettle on and pulled cups out of the cupboard and snacks out the icebox.

"Harry, your butt, downstairs, now."

"Coming."

Harry appeared a couple minutes later, all smiles in anticipation for their visitors. She had him carry the food into the living room while she finished preparing the tea. By the time she took the tea in they had one minute until the clock chimed the hour and the two exchanged a high five just as the floo alert went off and Albus Dumbledore stepped out into their living room. Rose smiled and stepped forward to embrace him, not the least surprised to see that he didn't look a day older.

"Albus, it's so good to see you."

"Rose, my dear, you're looking well and this must be Harry."

Harry nodded and held out his hand to the older man. "It's nice to meet you sir."

"The pleasure is all mine Harry."

The boy nodded and smiled at the man he knew would become his headmaster in only a few short weeks. After a moment the alert sounded again and a regal looking woman stepped through, immediately embracing Rose. The two chatted for a moment before Rose introduced her to Harry and he was finally able to put a face to the name "Professor McGonagall". He smiled at her and the four sat down. While Rose poured the tea, their guests took a moment to wish Harry a happy birthday which he excitedly thanked them for.

"I told you he was responding well. I never thought the day would come when I had someone nagging me to do things magically rather than the muggle way."

The group laughed but the joke was interrupted as the floo chimed a third time. Frowning, Rose turned to see what was going on and leaped out of her chair, tackling the new arrival and nearly sending them both to the ground.

"Remus!" She kissed his cheek and hugged him fiercely, ecstatic to see her friend. "Oh Merlin, I'm so glad you're here, I've missed you so much."

He laughed and kissed Rose in return. "I've missed you too Rose, I've missed you too. Now where's the birthday boy?"

"Here."

"Hello Harry."

"Hi. Aunt Rose, who is this?"

"This Harry, is Remus Lupin, one of your dad's best mates from school."

"You were friends with my dad?"

Remus laughed and nodded, his arm wrapped around Rose's shoulders. Though he knew he should let her go, he found it hard to do because the last time he'd done it she had disappeared for ten years. Rose also wasn't inclined to leave his side, she'd missed him that much.

"Are you guys going to stand there all day or can we get back to talking about magic?"

The four adults laughed and Remus and Rose took their seats. After Rose poured Remus a cup of tea they returned to their previous conversation. Rose sat back, allowing the others to talk and tell Harry about everything that had been happening while they were away. She was glad that she had arranged this, glad that Harry was getting the answers that she couldn't give. She smiled at Remus as she listened to Albus tell Harry about Hogwarts and what he could expect there, resisting the urge to brush her fingers over the cut on her friend's cheek. She'd long ago forgotten to count the days of the moon, a habit that had taken three years to die, but the sight of Remus's injury reminded her that the full moon had only passed a couple days earlier. Rose knew she would easily fall back into the rhythm of counting the days just like she'd done years ago, it was part of who she was. How had she ever forgotten? Oh yeah, she'd had a four year old to chase after.

"Aunt Rose?"

"What? Oh, I'm sorry honey, my thoughts got away from me. What did you say?"

"I didn't say anything, Remus did."

Rose laughed and looked at Remus expectantly. He winked and handed her a book, motioning for her to open it. On the front it read, "Happy Birthday Harry," and Rose wondered why he was encouraging her to look first. Frowning slightly she opened the little book and felt tears spring to her eyes. It was a picture album, with pictures that Rose assumed had been destroyed years ago.

"How did you get these?"

"Lily gave them to me for safe keeping, she wanted to make sure that they survived in case anything happened."

"I thought they were gone, I thought he'd destroyed them when he destroyed everything else."

Rose brushed her fingertips over the first photo, which was a simple picture of herself and Lily in their graduation robes. Rose had never owned a copy of the pictures because, at the time, she'd been running the Order's safe house and she refused to keep any personal items there. She'd told Lily that she could display the photos for both of them and then they'd been destroyed, leaving Rose with nothing but lost memories. Swallowing back the urge to cry, she handed the album to Harry and let him flip through it. She glanced at Remus and took the hand he offered, grasping it like a lifeline. She'd missed this, having someone to cling to when the world became too much to handle.

"This is really cool, thanks Remus."

"You're welcome Harry, I'm glad you like it."

"Are you okay Aunt Rose?"

Rose smiled at her nephew and nodded. "I'm fine Harry, I was just caught by surprise."

He nodded and looked at the others. "Aunt Rose never cries when she talks about Mum and Dad, she says it won't bring them back so why bother."

Rose groaned at Harry's words, her words. It was true that tears wouldn't bring Lily and James back but she'd never realized the example she was setting for Harry by telling him that. He probably thought that crying wasn't something that should be done at all when it was.

"I did say that didn't I? Well, I was wrong. True, it won't bring them back but it never hurts to cry, it keeps you from going crazy."

Harry frowned at this, it was the exact opposite of what she'd said his entire life. Sure, when he was hurt or upset she'd always told him it was okay to cry and that he shouldn't let anyone tell him differently but she'd never let herself cry, especially not when she talked about his parents. But she's crying now, isn't she? He made a note to talk to her about it later and then set the matter aside, wanting to return to the odd little celebration they were having.

"Do any of you know other wizard kids who are my age?"

Rose looked at the others, hoping they could give Harry at least one name.

"I believe Molly Weasley's youngest son is Harry's age."

Harry nearly flew out of his chair at Remus's words. "Really? What's his name?"

"If I remember correctly it's Ron though it could be Charlie."

"No Charlie's her second oldest, her youngest boy is Ron."

Rose rolled her eyes at Minerva's immediate correction of Remus's words, it was like being in school all over again. Rose decided to see how good her luck was and looked over at Dumbledore.

"Same address?"

"Yes."

She stood and knelt before the fire, building the communication fire easily. She grabbed a handful of floo powder and clearly stated, "The Burrow". The fire flashed and Rose stuck her head in, blinking against the odd sensation that came with the task.

"Hello?"

"Yes? Can I help you?"

"Molly, it's Rose."

"Rose! Oh it's been years, how are you dear?"

"Fine, glad to be able to use magic again now that Harry's old enough. Listen, I have a favor to ask."

"Yes?"

"It's Harry's birthday today and he's just dying to meet some other wizards. Remus, Minerva and Albus are over now and Remus made the mistake of telling Harry about Ron. How would you like to bring everyone over for dinner? I'm actually a pretty good cook these days and it would thrill Harry."

"Sounds wonderful dear, what should I bring?"

Rose rolled her eyes, Molly was so predictable. "Nothing except your children and Arthur. Dinner's at six, the floo is 1742 Ridgewood Drive, Bristol and don't you dare bring food. We'll see you then."

"Six it is dear, see you soon."

Rose pulled her head out of the fire and shook her head to clear the cobwebs. She was really going to be glad when she adjusted to using magic again because this transition stuff was murder. She looked over at a very curious Harry and smiled.

"Well, it appears we're having an impromptu birthday party tonight, complete with Weasleys."

Albus, Minerva and Remus all laughed at the statement while Harry's eyes bugged out of his head.

"Party? Tonight? People? Cool! Oh man, I should go clean my room. It was nice to meet everyone and I hope you stay for the party, bye."

Rose stared in shock as he ran off. "That's the first time that boy has ever volunteered to clean his room and it scares me."


	3. Birthday Nightmare

By the time six o'clock rolled around Rose had a whole new respect for Molly Weasley. Albus and Minerva had departed after Harry ran off, promising to return for dinner and Remus had volunteered to stay and help. Together they managed to make giant servings of salad, fried chicken, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes and gravy and chocolate cake. Remus kindly took on the job of making the side dishes and salad so that Rose could concentrate on the cake and chicken. Even though it was hours of work in a hot kitchen Rose loved every minute of it. She called Harry down at 5:30 and sent him outside with Remus to set up tables. She had to swat his hand as he walked by because he became a little too interested in the cake and not interested enough in his chores.

At six the boys were still setting up but at least all the food was ready. Rose went into the living room to great their guests, knowing that Remus would take care of getting everything else outside while she did. Albus and Minerva were the first to arrive and she sent them out to the backyard since she needed to wait for the Weasleys. Molly came through first and hugged Rose fiercely before introducing each of her children as they came through. There was Percy, Fred, George, Ron and Ginny with Arthur bringing up the rear and completing the clan. Rose knew there were two more, Bill and Charlie, but they were well past graduating age and were now at their respective jobs.

"Welcome everyone, I'm Rose and if you follow me there's food outside."

Rose led them out and introduced them to the others. Fred and George were more than happy to comment about how weird it was to be at a party with their professors but Percy jumped at the chance to suck up, something that happened often according to the other children. Ron and Harry immediately latched onto each other, becoming fast friends thanks to their age and obsession with Quidditch. Ginny was kind of left out so Rose kept the girl company, chatting about the things that ten year old girls loved.

As the sun began to set Rose carried out the cake and lit the candles so that everyone could sing to the birthday boy. Harry was grinning like an idiot, excited not only to have a party but because his aunt had made cake. Every year she made a two-layer chocolate cake with a fresh whipped cream and strawberries in the middle. He happily blew out the candles and dove into the cake when Rose handed him a piece, it was his favorite after all. After cake he pulled out his football and attempted to teach the others while the adults talked over tea.

"Rose, dinner was absolutely wonderful."

"Thanks Molly. I never thought I'd see the day when my cooking could satisfy the Weasley clan but I guess raising a kid like Harry will do that to you, especially when it's my turn to make snacks for his football team."

"Football?"

"Muggle sport, it's what Harry's trying to teach the others right now."

Molly watched as Harry dribbled the ball up and down the yard before kicking it to Ron. Her son tried to repeat his new friend's actions but tripped over the ball and fell forward, much to the amusement of the others. She noticed that Fred and George weren't bad at it as they took their turns but Ginny showed them all up and ended up playing one on one with Harry while the others cheered them on.

"It seems like a rather odd game."

Rose laughed and just shook her head. "Some would say that about Quidditch."

"I suppose so. Well, regardless, I would absolutely love the recipe for that chicken, it's been a while since I saw the boys drool like that."

Rose nodded and went back to watching Harry and Ginny's football game. Fred, George and Ron were thoroughly enjoying the game, not really cheering for anyone in particular just cheering in general. She was glad to see everyone having such a good time, even if Percy's idea of fun was to spend the whole evening chattering at Albus and Minerva. Remus was talking to Arthur about something but they were just far enough away that Rose couldn't quite make out what they were discussing. It was a pleasant scene and very domestic, a fact that delighted Rose more than she could ever say.

A little while later everyone left, Molly departing with Rose's fried chicken recipe in hand, and Rose, Harry and Remus all flopped down on the couch.

"Well kid, I'd say you just had one heck of a birthday."

"It was awesome, thanks Aunt Rose. Ron's great, I can't wait until we get to school and Ginny, wow, she's a great football player. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley are way cool, so are the twins but Percy's a real stick in the mud."

"Don't tell anyone I said this but I completely agree."

Harry laughed at his aunt's agreement and rolled his eyes. It was always funny when Aunt Rose said things like that because normally she admonished him for such things. He understood why, after all she was his guardian, but that was what made it so funny.

"Bedtime baby boy."

"Aunt Rose."

"Whine not, bed now."

Harry pouted but headed upstairs anyway, it had been a long and exciting day and he was tired, though he wasn't going to admit it. Rose watched him drag himself up the stairs and she nearly exploded laughing. She smiled at Remus and giggled when she saw the laughter sparkling in his eyes.

"Remind you of anyone?"

"Yeah, I think it reminds me of someone whose name began with James and ended with Potter."

Rose laughed at that, Remus had a real skill for reading her mind. Above them they could hear Harry banging about as he prepared for bed, pulling out his pajamas and taking a shower. Rose smiled at the familiar sounds, the only thing in her world that never changed, well, almost never. As the year had gone by Harry had become more and more independent and eventually Rose no longer needed to partake in his routine, other than to tell him that it was time to quit stalling and head for bed.

"What's it been like?"

Rose smiled at the question, she'd known Remus was going to ask sooner or later. "Amazing. At first it was weird because I knew it was supposed to be Lily doing this, not me, but eventually it just became second nature."

"Does it ever bother you?"

"Every day but it's not as bad as you'd think. Every time he looks at me I see Lily in his eyes and James in his smile which reminds me that they're always with us even if we can't see them."

Remus wrapped an arm around her shoulder and smiled when she turned toward him. In school he and Rose had been "cuddle buddies" as she'd called it. As wild and silly as she'd been Rose had a weakness for curling up with someone and simply enjoying a casual evening. He had the feeling she'd probably passed this little trait on to Harry which meant that he was likely to be even more popular with the ladies. He let himself return to the present and indulge in the feeling of having Rose back in his arms.

"Bed check."

Rose laughed softly and smiled at Remus. "Be right back."

Rose jogged up the stairs and down the hall to Harry's room. He grinned cheekily from the bed and Rose laughed as she set down next to him.

"Have a good birthday sweetheart?"

"The best!"

Rose smiled and kissed his forehead. "Glad to hear it, now get to sleep because you're ready to drop."

"Yeah okay. Don't stay up too late snogging Remus."

Rose cuffed him lightly but laughed along and ruffled his hair. "Cheeky little brat. Now get to sleep honey and I'll see you in the morning."

She walked over to the door and waited while he took off his glasses and get comfortable. She smiled softly as she watched Harry's eye close and his face relax, he really was the most amazing thing that had ever happened to her. With a quiet sigh she turned off the light and closed the door behind her before heading back downstairs.

Rose smiled at Remus, who was waiting ever so patiently and motioned for him to follow her into the kitchen. She heated a pot of water and pulled a couple of mugs from the cupboard, quickly mixing up two cups of hot chocolate and taking a seat at the table. She set one in front of Remus and scooted her chair a little closer to his. He laughed softly and leaned toward her.

"Can you stay up late if we don't snog?"

Rose laughed, not in the least surprised that Remus had heard that, werewolf senses and all. She took a sip of her cocoa and smiled at him.

"I don't know, I think we'd have to ask Harry to find out the answer to that one."

Remus reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear, making her face a little more visible. Ten years had changed her, softening her features and putting a glint of laughter back in her emerald eyes. The last time he'd seen her she'd had a steely sadness to those same eyes and it was nice to see the sparkle back.

"I've missed you Rosie."

"Missed you too Remy."

Remus laughed and leaned in, softly pressing his lips to hers. Rose smiled and let her eyes flutter shut as she lost herself in the feel of his lips against hers once again. Merlin but it had been so long since either one of them had this kind of contact with someone else. Ten long years since the last time Rose had been kissed by Remus Lupin yet now it felt like it had been only yesterday. Rose had kissed guys before, she'd been the party twin once upon a time, but the Marauders, save for Peter, had always been the best. At one point or another she'd dated James, Sirius and Remus and she'd definitely snogged them all. She'd only dated James once for a few months in their fourth year, before he went crazy over her sister but she'd dated Sirius and Remus multiple times.

She'd played on-again-off-again with both boys starting their fifth year and moving all the way through graduation. Well, okay, she'd finally called it quits with Sirius in seventh year but she'd continued her relationship with Remus all the way through to the day she left with Harry in her arms. Words couldn't describe how wonderful it felt to be in Remus' arms again, so to speak. After a few minutes they broke apart and Remus stood up, taking her hand in his and leading her back into the living room. He gave her a questioning look as they sat down on the couch and Rose just smirked before returning to her snog session. Hey, just because she was in her thirties didn't mean she couldn't still have a good time.

After an hour Rose figured it was probably time to call it a night. She slowly broke away from Remus before laying her head on his shoulder. The two sat for a while, enjoying the quiet and each others company. As Rose shifted to look at Remus, the quiet was split by a frightened, and frightening, scream.

"Aunt Rose!"

Rose vaulted from the couch and took the stairs three at a time, desperate to get to Harry. She knew that cry, knew it meant another nightmare, another memory that he didn't even know he had. Remus followed closely behind her, curious and frightened all at the same time. When he got to Harry's room he found Rose whispering softly to Harry as he clung to her and cried. After about fifteen minutes she laid him back down, whispered one more thing in his ear and walked over to where Remus was waiting. Without saying a word she led him back down the stairs and to the couch where she collapsed with her head in her hands.

"What happened?"

"Since he was a baby he's had nightmares, he wakes up screaming every time they happen. It wasn't until he was a little older that I found out what he was seeing and, after days of trying to figure it out, I realized that each time this happens he'd reliving his parents' death. He sees flashes of green light, hears Lily's screams as she begs for Harry's life, hears that bastard laughing in her face before he murders her. I haven't told him what it is he's seeing, I just can't bring myself to do it."

"It's okay Rose, no one blames you for any of it. Have you told Harry how they died?"

"Yes. I explained it all when his letter came, I just don't know how to tell him that every time he has a nightmare he's watching his mother die."

Remus looked from Rose to the stairs and back before speaking again. "Can he hear us?"

"He's already asleep again. He screams, I rush to him and after the tears dry he falls right back to sleep from the exhaustion. It used to be worse but that's the first one he's had in almost six months so I keep hoping that it'll stop one day. He won't remember anything in the morning except that he had another nightmare."

"If he doesn't remember it then how did you find out what he was seeing?"

"I got him to tell me right after he woke up one time because there was nothing I could do if I didn't know. He never asks me what he dreams but I know it bothers him a bit, not knowing what it is that scares him so bad."

Remus rubbed her back, trying to soothe the anxiety she felt. He knew it was hard on her, not being able to stop Harry's nightmares after all these years. From what he'd been told when she left, Rose hadn't taken the time to cry over her sister's death, she'd simply asked if Harry was okay and then taken him away. He didn't know if she'd ever taken the time to cry over Lily and James's deaths but it was obvious she took Harry's lingering involvement very hard.

"Have you thought about telling him?"

Rose shook her head. "How do you explain to a frightened little boy that the reason he's having nightmares is because he's reliving his mother's murder while he sleeps?"

Remus had no way to respond to that. Rose had a very valid point when it came to her dilemma. It was entirely possible that telling Harry would only make matters worse so he understood completely why she refused to go there. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and drew her to him, holding her close until she began to feel like herself again. After approximately half an hour Remus pulled back and kissed her gently on the forehead.

"I should go."

Rose shook her head and squeezed Remus' hand. "Stay, please."

"Are you sure?"

"I don't fancy spending the night by myself after telling that tale. Besides, I'm not ready to say goodbye just yet."

Remus nodded and together they headed upstairs. Because she'd never taken the time to clean out her closet there were still clothes there that belonged to Remus. After going through a nightly routine that most would have forgotten, the pair slid under the covers of Rose's king sized bed and turned toward each other. Within minutes they were both fast asleep, Rose's head resting on Remus' chest and his arms wrapped around her.


End file.
